India /Jammu & Kashmir /Leh /Leh
Sight Address : The Monastery or Gompa of Shey is located ideally on a high rock about 15 kms. south of Leh on the eastern banks of the Indus river. Edit
Detail InformationEdit
Shey Monastery, On a hillock, around 15 km south of Leh town (reachable by bikes) stands the monastery Shey Gompa. Built by Lhachen Palgyigon, the first king of Ladakh, the prime Arrraction of the monastery is the blue haired Maitreya Buddha of 17.5 m high, which is made with copper and brass, also decorated beautifully with studs of precious stones. Thiksey Gompa and Stok Palace are few adjoining Arrractions that can be visited.
HistoryEdit
Shey was the old capital of the upper Ladakh region. When the Dogras of Jammu invaded Ladakh in 1842, the Namgyals abandoned the palace and fled to Stok (they made it their permanent residence) on the opposite side of the Indus River. It is conjectured that the fort found in ruins, not dated, above the present palace at Shey, belonged to this period of invasion.Subsequently when the political dictates necessitated shifting of the capital to Leh, even then the importance of Shey continued since it was a mandatory requirement of the Namgyal kings to father their heir apparent here.
Must SeeEdit
Popular
Visiting TimeEdit
9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Closed OnEdit
N.A.
Best Season to VisitEdit
June to October
Best Time To VisitEdit
Morning , Afternoon, Evening.
Time Required for SightseeingEdit
6.0 hours.to 8.0 hours.
Ticket Required : Yes Edit
Individual National Adult Rs. : Rs.190
Kids Rs. : Rs.190
Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : Rs.190
Kids Rs. : Rs.190
Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.
Video Camera Rs. : N.A.
Guide Required : No Edit
Approximate cost: N.A.
Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit
Dress Require: N.A.
Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit
- N.A. ; N.A. ; Ph/M – N.A. ; Food Serve – N.A.
How to ReachEdit
Taxi : The Shey Monastery is located about 15 kms. south of Leh and it is easily accessible by taxi.
BUS : There are regular bus and taxi services to Leh. . Although, the roads to Leh are well maintained, it is a long and tiring journey of two days. JKSRTC provide service from Srinagar to Leh (700 km) which takes two days and HRTC provide service from Manali to Leh (474 km), which takes about 20 hours or two days if you halt in between. Buses will charge you anywhere between Rs 1,500 to 2,000 per person for a one way trip.Leh Bus Stand is barely a kilometer from the city. from bus stand taxi is available to reach these site.
Train : The nearest railway station to Leh is in Kalka from where you can take a bus or taxi to Manali via Shimla. There are regular taxis and bus services in Manali to and from Leh.
From New Delhi:Chandigarh Mumbai Bandra Terminus SF Express Kalka- New Delhi Shatabdi Kalka Delhi Passenger
From Mumbai: Paschim Express Slip
From Kolkata: Kalka Mail
Air : Leh is directly connected to Delhi through regular flights and it takes about 65 minutes to reach Leh from Delhi through flight. Direct flights also operate once a week from Leh to Srinagar and twice a week to Jammu and Kashmir. However, as the weather is unpredictable, a 2 to 3 hours hold-up is normal, especially on the early morning departures.
From New Delhi:Fly Smart, Jet Lite,Jet Airways Konnect.
From Mumbai:Fly Smart,Jet Airways Konnect, Air India.
From Kolkata:Jet Lite, Air India. Delhi-Leh fl ights rarely cost under Rs.11,500 in
summer but in winter Rs.4000 is possible. Unusually, Leh’s airline offi ces sometimes undercut
online prices.
Air India (Map p 246 ; %252076; Fort Rd;
10am-1pm & 2-4.30pm) Leh–Delhi (Rs.11,661),
via Srinagar (Rs.7354, Wednesday) or via Jammu
(Rs.8053, Monday and Friday). Fly to Jammu for
Dharamsala.
Jet Airways (Map p 249 ;%250999; Main
Bazaar; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm) Leh–Delhi daily
in August. Frequency drops gradually to twice
weekly in February.
Kingfisher (www.flykingfisher.com) Leh–Delhi
daily in summer.
Bus & Shared Jeep
KARGIL Bus (Rs.300, 10 hours) departs 4.30am
Others : Jeep services are also available here. 4wd jeeps are quicker, a little more expensive and reach more locations. Private hire jeeps are also available.
Things to CarryEdit
Carry your own food, drinking water,woolen cloths and a camera along to capture the amazing sights.
Safety / WarningEdit
1. Alcohol and tobacco should be completely avoided, as the low level of oxygen makes it very difficult to come out of a hangover and you don’t want to lose the sightseeing time, sitting in a hotel. Alcohol and coffee should also be avoided if you are in Leh on a trekking expedition. Tea, which is available in plenty, can be consumed.
2.Plastic is banned in Leh and Ladakh, so instead use biodegradable bags.
HelplineEdit
Police Control Room 100 / 0191-2560402
Railway Enquiry 131/ 132/ 2476407
Ambulance 102
Fire Services 101/ 132/ 2476407.